Electric heater



' W. O. BUNNELL AND 0. A. GATES.

ELECTRIC HEATER.

APPLICATION man MAR. 27, 1916.

1,346,793. Patented July 13, 1920.

l L Gwuzell UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

wILLIAnI o. BUNNELL AND QUINCY A. GATES, or WILKES-BARRE, PENNSYLVANIA;BOSE r, BUNNELL ExECUTn x or SAID WILLIAM o. BUNNELL, DECEASED.

ELECTRIC HEATER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J uly 13, 1920.

Application filed March 27, 1916. Serial No. 87,042.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it ,known that we, WILLIAM O. BUN- NELL and QUINCY A. GATES citizensof the United States, residing at Wilkes-Barre, in the county of Luzerneand State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Electric Heaters, of which the following is aspecification.

The present invention relates to electric heating and more particularlyto new and useful improvements in electric cooking stoves and circuitcontrollers therefor.

The primary object of our invention is to provide in an electric heatera plurality of heat generating elements of various strengths whereby tofurnish various degrees of heat.

Another object of our invention is to provide means for controlling saidheating elements for interconnecting the elements independently orcollectively to produce various degrees of heat.

Other objects and advantages to be derived from the use of our improvedelectric heater will appear from the following detail description andthe claim, taken with an inspection of the accompanying drawing, inwhich Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of one form of a heaterembodying the improvements of our invention, the heating elements beingdiagrammatically illustrated,

Fig. 2 is a plan top view of a modified form of our invention, and rFig. 3 is a diagrammatic view of the heating elements and thecontrolling circuits therefor.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, wherein similar charactersof reference designate like and corresponding parts throughout thevarious views, 1 designates a containing body having a base 2 and sidewalls 3, a partition 4 is provided extending upwardly from the base 2and serves to carry the heating elements hereinafter set forth. The formof the in ention illustrated in Fig. 1 is particularly adapted for useas a stove, a screen 5 being placed over the open top portion thereof toreceive articles to be cooked. The body 1 is provided with end walls 6,one of the end walls having mounted thereon a regulating switch 7controlling the amount of heat to be generated by the heating elements.The heating elements of this form of our invention are designated A, Band C and the terminals of the heatingelements designated 8 extendthrough suitable insulating bushings 9 arranged in the partition 4:. Theelectrical circuits employed are best shown in Fig. 3 and will bedescribed later.

The heating elements A B and C are arranged one above the other inconsecutive order as to their resisting power, or with 'the largerresisting element A nearest the supporting screen 5, the smallerresisting element C at the greatest distance from the member 5, whilethe intermediate resisting element is at an intermediate distance, orbetween the media A and C. Thus the degree of heat radiating from theheating elements may be accurately controlled and supplied to thearticles to be heated at the same place.

It will thus not be necessary to move the article to be heated fromplace to place upon the support 5 as the heat is raised and lowered.

The body or casing defined by the walls 3, ends 6, and top 5, constitutean inclosing casing or chamber in which the air freely circulates, andwhich is heated in mass, and rises through the foraminous top 5. 1

In Fig. 2 we have illustrated a modified form of our invention in whicha disk-like body 10 is provided having a thickened portion 11 throughwhich bushings 12 extend, said bushings supporting the heat elements a,b and 0, respectively. The switch elements (not shown) may be placed onthe body 10 in any suitable convenient position. A loop 13 is carried bythe body 10 for hanging the same up when not. in use.

In Fig. 3 we have illustrated a preferred arrangement of electriccircuits, the switch circuit 7 comprising an arm to which one side of anelectrical circuit E is connected as at 14. The arm 7 carries a bridgingplate 15 for a purpose which will hereinafter appear. The heatingelements are designated a, b and 0 and may be of any shape desired. Theheating elements are preferably of different sizes for a purpose whichwill hereinafter appear, the heating elements all having a common returnconductor 16 leading to the other side of the electrical circuit supplycircuit E. The free ends of the heating elements a, b and 0 areconnected by means of conductors 17, 18 and 19 to contact platesdisposed in a circle adjacent the ath of movement of the bridging plate15. The contact points have been designated A, B and to coincide withthe heating elements. Bridging conductors 20, 21 and 22 lead from theconductors 17, 18 and 19 respectively, terminating in contact points fora purpose which will hereinafter appear.

In use, assuming that it is desired to obtain heat from the coil C thecontact plate is placed in the position shown in Fig. 3. In order toobtain the combined heat of the coils B and. C the plate 15 is moved tobridge the corresponding points B and C. To obtain the combined heat ofthe coils B and A the plate 15 is engaged to connect with the points Band A. To obtain the heat of the coils independently the plate 15 ismoved to contact with the point corresponding with the coil which it isdesired to connect. By moving the plate 15 to contact with the point Aand the end of the conductor 22 the combined heat of the coils A and Cmay be obtained. By moving the plate to bridge the contact pointsforming the terminals of the conductors 20, 21 and 22 the combined heatof all of the coils may be obtained.

From the above description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawing, it is thought that a clear and comprehensive understanding ofthe constructiom operation and advantages of our invention may be had,and while We have shown and described our invention as embodying aspecific structure, we desire that it be understood that We may makesuch changes on said structure as do not depart from the spirit andscope of the invention as claimed.

lVhat we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters-Patent is z- Aheater of the class described including a support for the articles to beheated, a medium capable of radiating heat to a rela tively great degreelocated in relatively close proximity to the support, a medium capableof radiating heat to a less degree and located at a relatively greaterdistance from the support, and means for independently or collectivelycausing heat to be imparted to said radiating media.

In testimony whereof We aflix our signatures hereto.

WILLIAM O. BUNNELL. QUINCY A. GATES.

